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SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 1976
SHA TIN NEW TOWN EXHIBITION
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DRAFT PLANS FOR THE TOWN CENTRE OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN WILL BE PUT. ON PUBLIC SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME NEXT WEEKEND AT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S SHA TIN NEW TOWN EXHIBITION IN LEK YUEN ESTATE.
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THE EXHIBITION THE FIRST EVER ON THE NEW TOWN - IS BEING STAGED BY THE P.W.D.IS NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, SET UP IN 1973 TO BUILD HONG KONG'S THREE NEW TOWNS AT SHA TIN, TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN.
IT WILL OPEN ON SATURDAY (MARCH 13) AT THE SITE OF THE COMMERCIAL COMPLEX AT LEK YUEN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE, NOW NEARING COMPLETION BY THE P.W.D. ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE.
THE FIRST WORKING MODEL OF THE NEW TOWN CENTRE WILL ALSO BE DISPLAYED AT THE EXHIBITION.
THE P.W.D.'S SHA TIN PROJECT MANAGER, MR. JOHN DON, SAID TODAY THE TOWN CENTRE WOULD BE THE HEART OF THE NEW TOWN. PROVIDING IT WITH SOCIAL, CULTURAL, COMMUNITY, COMMERCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
IT WOULD CONTAIN A MAJOR CIVIC CENTRE COMPLEX, WITH A TOWN HALL, CENTRAL LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM AND RESTAURANTS.
THE CENTRE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE SOME 2.8 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL FLOOR SPACE, AND HOUSE MANY GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS POSSIBLY INCLUDING A NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.
MR. ALAN CROSBY, THE N.T.D.D.'S CHE IF PLANNING OFFICER FOR THE SHA TIN PROJECT," SAID THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN CENTRE WAS BEING SPECIALLY PLANNED TO SEGREGATE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FROM PEDESTRIANS, WHICH WOULD IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE TOWN CENTRE, SPEED UP TRAFFIC FLOW AND ENSURE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE.
HE SAID THAT AT GROUND LEVEL IN THE TOWN CENTRE, TRAFFIC WOULD FLOW SWIFTLY ALONG ONE-WAY STREETS UNINTERRUPTED BY TRAFFIC LIGHTS, BUSES WOULD MOVE ALONG BUS-ONLY LANES, BY-PASSING NORMAL TRAFFIC BUILD-UP AND CUTTING TRAVELLING TIMES TO A MINIMUM.
ONLY SERVICE-TYPE SHOPS SUCH AS REPAIR SHOPS - WOULD BE ALLOWED AT GROUND LEVEL, AND COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC USING THEM WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH OFF-STREET PARKING TO PREVENT CONGESTION.
MR. CROSBY SAID THERE WOULD BE MAJOR PARKING STATIONS IN THE OUTER AREAS OF THE TOWN CENTRE, SO MOTORISTS COULD LEAVE THEIR CARS AND STILL BE WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE OF EVERYTHING IN THE TOWN CENTRE.
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THE TOWN